N.J. Board to Decide Newark Leader's Fate

The New Jersey state board of education faces an unenviable task
this week as it weighs who should lead the Newark school district.

Months of heated demonstrating and debating in the struggling
northern New Jersey city have delivered the state board to this spot:
It can choose an incumbent superintendent who has passionate,
grassroots support but is opposed by the majority of members on the
local school board, or select an out-of- towner who is unwanted by
thousands of angry parents and teachers.

At its March 5 meeting, the state panel was expected to consider
whether to reappoint Marion A. Bolden, the Newark native they chose to
lead the embattled, state- run district in 1999, or replace her with
David Snead, a former Detroit schools chief who now leads the
17,000-student Waterbury, Conn., schools.

Either choice risked alienating pivotal swaths of the Newark
community.

The nine-month fight over the superintendency has filled the air
with rhetoric and accusations. On Feb. 25, in a school auditorium
packed with hundreds of Ms. Bolden's cheering backers, the local board
voted 5-4 to recommend Mr. Snead, a move that reignited anger among Ms.
Bolden's supporters, who believe she has begun to turn around the
academically and financially troubled district. ("Uproar Halts Vote on Newark
Schools Chief," Feb. 19, 2003.)

"People are upset. They're outraged. And they have a right to be,"
said the Rev. David Jefferson, the pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist
Church and a leader of a coalition to retain Ms. Bolden.

'Deeply Troubled'

The sizzling emotions of the struggle have reached south to the
state capital of Trenton, where Commissioner of Education William L.
Librera wrestled last week with what he should recommend to the state
board. He had hoped that the process of involving the local board in
the choice of a superintendent would forge consensus as the
42,000-student district phases back to local control after more than
seven years in state hands.

"I'm deeply troubled by how divided the community is over this
matter," he said. "A 5-4 vote couldn't be worse. Now I have to make my
decision based on who is best able to lead this district forward and
address those divisions over the next three years."

Healing the rift that was torn open by the superintendency battle
will be critical to progress in the district, said Katrina Kelley, the
director of the National School Boards Association's Council of Urban
Boards of Education.

"The board will have to be very clear about the mission and vision
of the district," said Ms. Kelley. "Especially if the decision goes in
a way that's different from what the community is desiring, the board
and the superintendent will really have to spend time mending those
community fences."

Who will be mending fences with whom, however, was up in the air
last week. After Mr. Snead expressed interest in the Newark job, his
local board extended his contract. He remained noncommittal last week,
saying he would wait for details of the Waterbury contract offer before
deciding whether to stay there.

Simmering Anger

As the Newark school community kept a hopeful eye on Trenton, anger
over the divisive battle still simmered. Members of the local advisory
board minority continued to rail against the majority, contending that
the majority's opposition to Ms. Bolden arises from their political
connections to the mayor and to unions that want to influence the
awarding of local school construction contracts.

"Those five members of the board are not working in the best
interests of our children," said board member Dana Rone, who supports
Ms. Bolden. "They're doing the bidding of the politicians."

Board Chairwoman Maryam Bey is tired of those accusations. She and
others in the majority back Mr. Snead, she said, because they believe
he is better qualified to lead the district, and because Ms. Bolden
hasn't produced sufficient improvement in student achievement.

"She earns almost $200,000 a year," said Ms. Bey. "For that kind of
money, we should see better results. I don't want slow and steady. I
want to see fast and quick."

Ms. Bolden lamented the length and volatility of the search and
wants a selection made so the city can move on.

"This whole process has been as disruptive as anything I've ever
seen," she said.

As difficult as the past nine months have been, however, some
longtime community activists see the outpouring of emotion as a
catalyzing moment for a city whose residents have long felt politically
powerless.

Mr. Jefferson predicted that the community's strong feelings will
echo in the spring school board contest, where three members are up for
re-election, as well as in future mayoral and gubernatorial races.

"It's extraordinarily positive that this entire community is
focusing its attention on one of the most critical issues facing the
city of Newark: the educational system," the Baptist minister said.

"This has created a strong sense of solidarity in our community and
made people think about how we own our own destiny. It will not go
away. It's a super turning point."

Vol. 22, Issue 25, Page 3

Published in Print: March 5, 2003, as N.J. Board to Decide Newark Leader's Fate

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